What role do women play in machining companies??
The day 08 of March, Working Women's Day, It is a key date to gain perspective, carry out a gender analysis of the sector and propose the challenges that the machining companies in gender and equality policies and the road ahead.
In the metal sector, women only occupy the 18% of jobs when this figure, if it is translated into the labor market as a whole, go up to the 45,5%. Why is it? 18% jobs in the metal-mechanic industry held by women, and 21% are administrative positions, technical or managerial and only one 1% are production or maintenance positions.
How can this situation be reversed? machining companies?
Various women from the metal sector have given their opinion on how the percentage of female presence in this sector, still so masculinized, could be increased. Palazon Gem, human resources director, Organization and Quality of UNESID points out that the key is to attract female talent to more technical careers or professional training. For Palazón you have to “inform students about the opportunities offered by our industry: stable employment, quality, qualified and highly paid".
In this way, It is important to point out the need to have more women in the workshops, but, also, in the Vocational Training degrees themselves, where the female presence does not abound. Once inside the companies, the role played by women in management positions is also relevant.. Rosa Calderon, CEO of Tecnomeca Malaga, places special emphasis on the fact that the role played by women will depend on the characteristics of the company. In Calderon's opinion, “in the industrial sector it is really difficult to break through. […] The percentage of women who are successful is negligible..”
The adaptation of the jobs of the machining companies to achieve equality
A study carried out by the Valencian Metallurgical Business Federation and the Institute of Biomechanics of Valencia (IBV) outlines the ergonomic difficulties from the gender perspective of jobs in the metal sector.
The usual tools with which you have to work in the industry do not take into account the physical differences that exist between men and women. To give a simple example, antistatic coveralls do not fit ergonomically on a woman's body. Besides, the study reflects the fact that the work machinery is anthropometrically adapted to the male gender is a disadvantage for women.
The researchers Raquel Poveda, Purification Castelló and Sonia Serna through the study of three characteristic positions within machining companies, have concluded that there is an anthropometric grievance for women. Due to this factor, women have to work with forced postures, which exposes them to an increase in 30% of having thoracolumbar injuries. The National Institute of Safety and Hygiene already states that corrective and preventive measures must be put in place, and do not exceed the load limits (whether you are a man or a woman), due to the risk of musculoskeletal injuries.
The numbers of women in the machining companies and the metal
Figures of women in the machining sector
It is very important for machining companies and the metal-mechanic industry to take all this data into account., since from these companies can focus and improve their gender policies. Aspromec makes its advisory service available to machining companies and helps them establish new contacts and business relationships for their company.
Fuentes:
- rtve: https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20200307/mujeres-acero-siderurgia/2006361.shtml
- Burgos Newspaper: https://www.diariodeburgos.es/noticia/Z04278079-932A-041D-C13226D009BE92CB/202107/No-tenemos-mujeres-en-talleres-porque-no-hay-candidatas
- Blog Tecnomeca: https://www.tecnomeca.info/blog/entrevista-a-rosa-calder%C3%B3n-ceo-de-tecnomeca-m%C3%A1laga
- The country: https://elpais.com/economia/2021-11-26/como-feminizar-el-sector-del-metal.html
- You have a sid: https://unesid.org/blog/claves/
